UNIFIL says ‘Israeli’ army dropped grenades near peacekeepers

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon said Friday that the ‘Israeli’ military had dropped grenades near its peacekeepers the day before, urging the army to stop such attacks.

"Yesterday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) dropped grenades near peacekeepers working alongside Lebanese soldiers to provide security for civilian workers" in south Lebanon's Maroun al-Ras, a UNIFIL statement said, adding that nobody was hurt.

“Around 11:30 am, [observer forces] at two different sites heard a grenade explode near an excavator, about 500 meters away from them,” the statement from UNIFIL says.

“Moments later, the first group saw a drone fly overhead and witnessed an explosion about 30-40 meters away. About 20 minutes after that, the second group saw another drone drop a grenade that exploded just 20 meters over their heads.”

The statement urged the ‘Israeli’ army "to cease attacks on or near peacekeepers, civilians, and Lebanese soldiers... and allow us to carry out our mandated tasks without obstruction".

The ‘Israeli’ military did not issue a statement on the matter yet.